The National Family Health Survey-6 (NFHS-6) has revealed a significant improvement in child vaccination coverage across the northeastern states of India. Assam has emerged as the regional leader with a vaccination rate of 81.7%, a remarkable leap from 66.7% recorded in the previous NFHS-5 survey. This figure nearly matches the national average of 82.6%, according to the report released on Friday evening.
Regional Vaccination Performance
Following Assam in vaccination coverage are Arunachal Pradesh at 75.9%, Meghalaya at 75.3%, Tripura at 74.4%, and Mizoram at 72.1%. Among the northeastern states surveyed in NFHS-6 (2023-24), excluding Manipur, Nagaland recorded the lowest vaccination rate at 64.3%. Experts attribute the vaccination hurdles in Nagaland to behavioral factors and religious superstition, largely driven by fear and misinformation in certain areas.
NFHS-6 measures child vaccination based on the share of surveyed children aged 12-23 months who are fully vaccinated, using information from either the vaccination card or the mother's recall.
Expert Insights on Assam's Success
Health economist Tiken Das, assistant professor of economics at Nagaon University, described the northeast's vaccination progress as its clearest success story. He noted that Assam's full coverage among children aged 12-23 months rose from 66.7% in NFHS-5 to 81.7% in NFHS-6, outperforming states like Bihar (77.3%). Das attributed this improvement primarily to Mission Indradhanush, the government's targeted immunization drive focusing on high-burden districts such as Dhubri and Barpeta.
Persistent Nutritional Concerns in Meghalaya
Despite the gains in vaccination, the region presents a mixed picture. A significant number of children in Meghalaya continue to face nutritional deficiencies, with 36.8% of children under 5 still stunted. Although this represents an improvement of nearly 10 percentage points from 46.5% in NFHS-5, it remains above the national average of 29.3%. The stunting rate stands at 38.2% in rural areas and 26% in urban areas. Assam also exceeds the national average, with 30.3% of children stunted.
Rising Caesarean Section Rates
Experts have pointed to a growing trend in caesarean section deliveries, noting that a rising C-section rate is not necessarily indicative of better healthcare. This pattern is observed across India, particularly in private hospitals. Since 1985, the international healthcare community has considered the ideal caesarean section rate to be between 10% and 15%.
In Assam, 81.4% of births in private health facilities were delivered by caesarean section, up from 70.6% in the previous NFHS. Tripura followed closely, with 78.3% of private-facility births delivered by C-section in NFHS-6, up from 69.3%.
These findings highlight both the successes and ongoing challenges in maternal and child health across Northeast India.
